Open AccessProceeding Paper
Diachronic Analysis of Agro-Forestry Landscape in Latium Region
by
Beatrice Petti, Marco Ottaviano, Claudio Di Giovannantonio, Massimo Paolanti, Cherubino Zarlenga and Marco Marchetti
Environ. Earth Sci. Proc. 2025, 36(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/eesp2025036001 (registering DOI) - 7 Nov 2025
Abstract
Despite the growing demand for agricultural products, land abandonment is increasing in developed countries, leading to the recolonization of natural vegetation and affecting ecosystem services, biodiversity, and the economy. Understanding the drivers of land abandonment is crucial for the protection of historic rural
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Despite the growing demand for agricultural products, land abandonment is increasing in developed countries, leading to the recolonization of natural vegetation and affecting ecosystem services, biodiversity, and the economy. Understanding the drivers of land abandonment is crucial for the protection of historic rural landscapes. This study assessed land use in the Latium region during the mid-twentieth century, analyzing the transitions of agro-forestry landscapes starting from areas that are now classified as natural and semi-natural formations. The analysis revealed that much of today’s wilderness derives from agricultural land, mostly arable land, and complex cultivation patterns. Extensive grasslands, once widespread, have largely transitioned into woodland or shrubland, with significant impacts. The resulting simplification of the landscape contributes to agro-biodiversity loss and a decline in ecosystem services, presenting major challenges for meeting future habitat restoration targets set by environmental policies.
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